News and commentary about the reigning royal houses of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Spain, Monaco -- and the former European monarchies as well.

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

In January I wrote about the breakup of the marriage of Archduchess Catharina of Austria and Count Massimiliano Secco d'Aragona after 16 years of marriage. I am not sure if the couple have divorced but Maxi has moved. As first reported by the German magazine, Bunte, the apparent cause of the breakup between the archduchess and her Italian husband is a German heiress, Julia Oetker, a scion of the very well-to-do German baking products family.

I opened one of my royal postcard albums and selected a number of images to share here. I am always adding cards to the collection - but one eludes me: Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz ... I know a few cards exist ... so keep looking for Augusta, for her husband Friedrich Wilhelm, their son, Adolphus Friedrich and his family.

My postcard collection includes more than 9000 cards from the late 1800s to the present.

Queen Frederika of the Hellenes and her two Aunts, Alexandra, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Olga of Hannover

The Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Prince and Princess Heinrich of Prussia

The three daughters and their husbands of Friedrich Karl of Prussia and Marie Anne of Anhalt-Dessau: Marie and Hendrik of the Netherlands, Elisabeth and Grand Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg and Princess Luise Margarete and Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (1878).

Theodora of Greece and Berthold Margrave of Baden

Crown Princess Antonia (nee Luxembourg), and her children

Princess Adalbert of Bavaria and her grandchild (child of Prince Konstantin)

Princess Dorothea of Bavaria at the time of her engagement to Archduke Gottfried of Austria

Countess Julie von Hauke (Princess of Battenberg)

Grand Duchess Eleonore of Hesse and by Rhine with her two grandsons, Alexander and Ludwig

Irene Sibylle Auguste Hermine of Hesse (1907-1980) was the third of five children of Chlodwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippstahl-Barchfeld and Princess Caroline of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. She was married twice to Waldemar von Thomsen (1891-1967), The first marriage took place in 1934. Divorced in 1955, remarried two years later. Caroline was a younger sister of Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, who was the second wife of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine.

The Prince and Princess of Fürstenberg with Kaiser Wilhelm II, when he visited their home. The Prince and Wilhelm were friends

In Britain, a wife takes her husband's rank and title, unless her rank is higher. In 1923, after the wedding of the Duke of York to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, an official statement was released by the palace:

"In accordance with the settled general rule that a wife takes the status of her husband Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on her marriage has become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York with the status of a Princess."

This is a selection of the Christmas cards I have received so far ... some I choose not to publish for privacy reasons. One of my favorite cards so far came from Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg (their kids are growing up) but this one I cannot publish.

Now available for purchase: a well-researched, footnoted article on the life of Grand Duke Michael Mikahilovich of Russia, whose marriage to Countess Sophie von Merenberg was unequal, but a love match. I wrote this piece some years ago for Royalty Digest, and now again available. The price is $5.00 (and will be sent to you as a PDF). Just click on the Buy Now link for purchase. Thanks.

The Gleichens: the Unknown Royal Cousins

My article, The Gleichens: the Unknown Royal Cousins, is now available through Kindle on Amazon, in all the Amazons' Kindle stores. This link is for US Amazon. The price is $9.99. Just visit your Amazon and go to the Kindle store, search for my article. The article runs more than 50 pages! And who were the Gleichens: Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (nephew of Queen Victoria) and his family. His marriage to Lady Laura Seymour was considered unequal, and his wife and children were created Countesses and Count Gleichen. A German title but very English people .... Feodora, Edward, Valda and Helena .. all talented and interesting people. True junior royals.

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Copyright notice

All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published without the prior approval of Marlene A. Koenig. You can, however, provide a link to the blog or to a post on the blog. Please credit Marlene A Koenig and Royal Musings. Thanks

Sources

The sources consulted for this blog include the New York Times, the Chicago Daily Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and The Times. I also consult books and other materials in my personal library. All the photos come from my personal collection, unless other noted.